English
kyriology
Kyriology comes from Ancient Greek κύριος ‘literal’, from Proto-Hellenic *kúrios ‘lord, master’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- ‘to swell’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱewh₁-1‘to swell’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*kúrios1‘lord, master’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκύριος2kúrios‘literal’
- Englishearliest quotation 1878kyriology2
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek κύριος
- 2 Wiktionary, English kyriology
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1878, Charles Porterfield Krauth, William Fleming: “KYRIOLEXY, KYRIOLOGY (Gr.), the use of literal expressions, as…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱewh₁-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek κύριος‘to swell’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*kúriosWiktionary, Ancient Greek κύριος‘lord, master’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκύριοςWiktionary, English kyriologykúrios‘literal’
- Englishearliest quotation 1878kyriologyWiktionary, English kyriology. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1878, Charles Porterfield Krauth, William Fleming: “KYRIOLEXY, KYRIOLOGY (Gr.), the use of literal expressions, as…”
Formed from ology
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- ‘to swell’
jail, cave, cage, cavity, hound, excavation, cyst, excavate, gaol, cumulus, caul, cavil, cajole, 40 more
through Proto-Hellenic *kúrios ‘lord, master’
through Ancient Greek κύριος ‘literal’
Today it means
noun The use of literal or simple expressions, as distinguished from the use of figurative or obscure language.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “kyriology”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Ancient Greek κύριος. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- / kyriology